Page:The Finding of Wineland the Good.djvu/253

 ' It assumes that the bearing of the sun was taken when its centre was actually on the horizon, and the latitude is found by the solution of a spherical right-angled triangle. Manifestly the learned Professor has taken into account the effect of refraction, and solved an oblique triangle. By this method, calling the refraction 33', we find the latitude to be 49° 5o'-2. The slight difference between this result and that of the Professor [less than 5'j is accounted for by the supposition that he did not assume the same refraction.

' The conditions of this case do not seem to give additional value to a rigorous solution. Since the explorers were on the eastern coast of the continent they must have observed the setting of the sun over land, and probably recorded its bearing before it reached the horizon. In such a case, the introduction of refraction and semi-diameter would lead to a result more in error than the simpler solution.

' The data furnished are not sufficiently definite to warrant a more positive assertion than that the explorers could not have been, when the record was made, farther north than Lat. [say] 49".'

The result, therefore, of the application of Professor Storm's simple and logical treatment to this passage in Flatey Book, ' the sun had there Eyktarstad,' &c., is summed up in Capt. Phythian's statement, ' the explorers could not have been, when the record was made, farther north than Lat. [saj'] 49°; ' that is to say, Wineland may have been somewhat farther to the south than northern Newfoundland or the corresponding Canadian coast, but, if we may rely upon the accuracy of this astronomical observation, it is clear that tims far south it must have been.

(67) Kornhjálmr af tré, a wooden granary. The word 'hjálmr' appears to have a double significance. In the passage in the Saga of King Olaf the Saint: 'Wilt thou sell us grain, farmer? I see that there are large "hjálmar" here' [Heimskringla, ed. Unger, p. 353], the word 'hjálmar' may have the meaning of stacks of grain. The use of the word as indicating a house for the storage of grain is, however, clearly indicated in the Jydske Lov of 1241, wherein we read: 'But if one build upon the land of another either a "hialm" or any other house,' &c. ['æn byggær man annænds iord antugh mæth hialm æth nokær andre hus,' &c. Danmarks gamle Provindslove, ed. Thorsen, Copenh. 1853, pp. 79–80]. As there is no suggestion in the saga of the finding of cultivated fields, it is not apparent for what uses a house for the storage of grain could have been intended.

(68) Vígflaki, lit. a war-hurdle. This was a protection against the missiles of the enemy raised above the sides of the vessel. In this instance, as perhaps generally on ship-board, this protecting screen would appear to have been formed of shields attached to the bulwarks, between these the arrow, which caused Thorvald's death, doubtless, found its way.

(69) The Landnámabók makes no mention of this Thori; its language would seem to preclude the probability of a marriage between such a man and Gudrid; the passage with reference to Gudrid being as follows: 'His son was Thorbiorn, father of Gudrid who married Thorstein, son of Eric the Red, and afterwards Thorfinn Karlsefni; from them are descended bishops Biorn, Thorlak and Brand.' Landnáma, pt. ii, ch. xvii.

(70) Námkyrtill [namkirtle] is thus explained by Dr. Valtýr Guðmundsson, in his unpublished treatise on ancient Icelandic dress: 'Different writers are not agreed upon the meaning of "námkyrtill;"' Sveinbjörn Egilsson [Lexicon poet.] interprets it as signifying a kirtle made of some kind of material called 'nám.' In this definition he